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From: avolio@decuac.UUCP (Frederick M. Avolio)
Newsgroups: net.news.group
Subject: Re: Is net.sources beyond hope?
Message-ID: <811@decuac.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 8-Feb-86 12:47:22 EST
Article-I.D.: decuac.811
Posted: Sat Feb  8 12:47:22 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 9-Feb-86 08:43:12 EST
References: <478@kepler.UUCP> <247@maynard.UUCP> <9177@amdcad.UUCP> <122@jpusa1.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: ULTRIX Applications Center, MD
Lines: 31
Summary: mod.newslists and net.announce.newusers already give guidelines.

In article <122@jpusa1.UUCP>, stu@jpusa1.UUCP writes:
> We've all seen net.sources go thru ups and downs, but let's not throw
> out the baby with the bath water.  Education is the key ...
> ...  If someone who really cared would post
> a short article giving tips on what should go to mod.sources, how big
> an article shouldn't be, where to post requests, etc. once a month or
> so, things might clean up all by themselves.  Anybody want the job?

In mod.newslists and net.announce.newusers I find the following:

  Subject: Introduction to net.announce
  Subject: Rules for posting to Usenet
  Subject: Introduction to posting to net.general
  Subject: A Primer on How to Work With the Usenet Community
  Subject: Hints on writing style for Usenet
  Subject: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
  Subject: List of Active Newsgroups
  Subject: List of Moderators

In each mod group, such as mod.sources, rules are posted periodically.
The information is there.  There is no way to force people to read it.
That's one reason a moderated source group is better than a free-for-all.
Requests for sources would be sent back with a pointer to net.wanted.sources.
Bug reports would go to the  proper group.  And so on.  If site news
administrators would see that people were referred to the proper reading
before they started using news software there might be fewer postings
of comments into net.sources and lost earring notes into net.general.
(Or an individual posting address changes every time he crosses the
street!  Boy he must get a lot of mail from all over the world...)
-- 
Fred @ DEC Ultrix Applications Center    {decvax,seismo,cbosgd}!decuac!avolio